Major Shake-Up in Rankings: Mitchell and Defending Champion Surge

In a thrilling Round 7 of NRL MVP voting by Zero Tackle, Nathan Cleary scored a remarkable 15 votes during Penrith's triumph over the Dolphins in Darwin.

However, it was Jackson Ford who made a significant jump to third place, joined by notable performances from Latrell Mitchell (fifth), Tolutau Koula (seventh), and James Tedesco (eighth).

Simi Sasagoi also received a flawless rating, earning him the 12th position.

For Ford, Tedesco, and Sasagi, this marked a consecutive week of being awarded a perfect score of 20 votes.

In addition, several players caught the eye of judges, including Herbie Farnworth, Kulikefu Finefeuiaki, Xavier Willison, Adam Reynolds, Will Penisini, and Junior Paulo, who were all recognized as the best on ground by at least one judge.

Following Scott Drinkwater's failure to score any votes, Cleary reclaimed the top position, but the competition remains tight. A mere three votes now separate the leading contenders, with Jackson Ford trailing just two votes behind.

Remarkably, only 31 votes distinguish players ranked first through tenth.

Here are the votes from Round 6.